Removable hinged electrical heater



April 26, 1960 B. ALTMAN ETAL REMOVABLE HINGED ELECTRICAL HEATER 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1959 FIG 2 /7 29 I8 /9 2p RSI/1 l 23 I 1l4 s. J

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REMOVABLE HINGED ELECTRICAL HEATER Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3FIG 8 5/95 20 II /7 J /y/ y I 2 29 22 H 24 H i I4 I zl nmd'lz'ifliii BYPaul SIS-filter ATTORNEY United States Patent REMOVABLE HINGEDELECTRICAL HEATER Bernard Altman, Larchmout, and Paul Stiller, MountVernon, N.Y., assignors to Still-Man Manufacturing Corp, New York,N.Y.,- a corporation of New York Application June 29, 1959, Serial No;823,454 Claims. c1. 219-37 This invention relates to swingably mountedheaters and more particularly to a removable'hinged electrical heaterfor use in ranges, stoves, hot plates, and like electrical equipment.

A hinged heater isuseful where it is desired temporari- 1y tochange itsposition on or in an electric range or similar appliance, i.e., swingthe heater into a convenient position, either for use or to move it outof the way when not in use, also, as is frequently the case, swing itout of the way when cleaning those parts of the equipment which areadjacent the heater. p

Animpoitant aspect of this invention relates to the last mentionedconvenient feature well suited to electrical ovens in ranges of the typewhere it is desired to so mount a heater, usually on a horizontal axis,that it can be temporarily swung out of the way (such as to anuppo'sition), in order to clean directly underneath the heater and thenlet it down to normal service position.

In the manufacture of conventional hinged heaters for electrical rangesand the like, one practice is to provide a hinge means on the rearportion of the heater, which usually requires screw fastenings andrelated parts, thus involving the use of a screwdriver or other tool formounting the heater in service position. An inconvenience arises inhandling loose screws and other hinge parts, such as a retaining plateto complete the hinged installation when using prior art components.

Such practice lacks simplicity in the hinge structure, due to itsseveral loose parts and the need for tools. Present practice requires amechanic, when assembling such a heater, especially so when working inthe oven portion of a range, to reach back into the depth of the oven toits rear wall and find the screw holes, usually in a shadowed or darkarea. At best, a long arm reach is required of the mechanic and,usually, from a stooped position, in order to work in the oven andfinally maneuver the several loose parts into service position with ascrewdriver or other tool. Altogether, present practice is subject toimprovement in order to resolve its problems. It is a general purpose ofthis invention to simplify the conventional hinge means for heaters usedin electric ranges, and also the mode of installation, as well asprovide a hinged heater of less number of parts, which isself-contained, i.e., of unit form (free of loose parts) and which doesnot require the use of tools when installingit in service position and,in fact, so arranging all movable components in one piece that the hingecan be snap-latched into service position by a simple manual operation.

It is also a purpose to provide a heater which is pivotally mounted(installed) on a support of an electric range; such as its oven wall, bythe simple operation of manually plugging the one-piece hinge means ofthe heater into place-all without the use of screw mountings orequivalents thereof and without tools therefore Patented Apr. 26, 1960and, moreover, without the mechanic having to perform the long arm reachheretofore mentioned and in purpose, thereby, reducing the time involvedin mounting hinged heaters in the ovens of electric ranges.

The drawings The accompanying drawings now considered, along with thisspecification and claimed subject matter, disclose the best modecontemplated in applying the principle ofthe invention and understandingthe problems discovered as well as the new results achieved. Since theseteachings may suggest structural changes to others, it is apparent thatlater modifications may well be equivalents and thus the same in spiritas this invention, as understood by a comparison thereof with the priorart.

Fig.7 1 shows one example of the utility of the complete unitcomprisinga conventional heating element with this novel latch-in hingemeans-mounted in service position on a supporting wall, as in anelectric range (such as the back wall of a range oven), a fragment ofwhich is shown schematically.

The following figures are enlarged views (all on the same scale) of thelatch-in hinge means built onto (integrated with) a conventionalelectrical heating element of the sheathed type.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the hinge, this view being made on line2, looking at the hinged heater pivotally mounted on the front surfaceof the supporting wall at the rear of an electric range, for example itsoven.

Fig. 3 is a still view made on the lines 3-3 which are noted in thefirst two views, showing the hinged heater in its down, i-.e., normalservice position.

Fig. 4*repeats Fig. 3, except it is an action view showing the heatertemporarily lifted upward, so as conveniently to clean underneaththereof, such as the bottom (floor) of the oven.

Fig. 5 is a parts name and numbered action view of the hinged heaterunit separated from its supporting wall. The heater is about to beplugged into (or detached from) a pair of spaced hinge slots formed inthe range supporting wall. Note that the legends on Fig. 5 constituteall the part names used in the specification and claims, as well as allthe part numbers on the drawings. This presentation makes for uniformityin terminology, thus being helpful in interpreting the disclosure.

The next three are operational views (comprising a series of top-edgeviews made on the line 6 of Fig. 2), showing the actions involved inmounting the latch-in hinge heater means in service position andremoving it therefrom.

Fig. 6 shows the latch-in hinge plugged into the supporting wall, butnot yet latched in final position.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6, except that it shows the hinged heaterdisplaced (shifted) laterally to the right, with a latching (lock-in)space-filler device, of characteristic form and function, snapped intofinal place for permanently holding the hinge in service and swingableposition.

Fig. 8 shows the manner of releasing (manually unlocking) the latch-inhinge, so that the heater may be removed for replacement or repair. Notethat ones finger is springing the latch outward and unlocking it. Thehinge can now be shifted to the left (back to the Fig. 6 startingposition), in order that the unlocked heater be withdrawn from therange.

, It is significant that the mode of operation of the hinged heater-asdemonstrated in the foregoing views-is carried' out without the timeconsuming and inconvenient long arm reach heretofore explained inreference to conventional practice. The mechanic assembling this novelhinged heater merely grasps its outer (front) end and inserts (plugs in)the hinge, at its rear end, into the :supporting back wall of theelectric range.

Although the foregoing description and drawings are believed to explainthe invention, the disclosure thereof is amplified by next referring tothe part names and numbers throughout all the views, as presented inFig. 5.

Accordingly, a conventional electric range is shown schematically. Ithas a back supporting wall 11, in which a rectangular clearance opening12 is provided, and a pan or floor plate, such as an oven bottom 13. Inthis example of the invention, the range portion 10 may be assumed to bethe oven thereof, for illustrating one of the important applications ofthis novel heater, so arranged as to make convenient the cleaning of thebottom 13 underneath the heating element, next described.

A conventional heating element 14 of the sheathed or clad type has itsrear ends (usually parallel) fixed in a rectangular cover plate 15,slightly larger than the wall opening 12, which is hingedly mounted in anovel man ner on the supporting rear wall 11, and covers said opening.Such a heating element 14 is of well known construction. It comprises atubular metallic sheath, containing an electrical resistance heatingcoil extending throughout the length thereof, and packed with mineralinsulation.

When such a heating element 14 is made for an oven, it may be ofrectangular shape (as in Fig. 1), so as to rim or hug the interiorperimeter (all four walls) of the oven 10, or it may be U-shaped andthus extend along the front and side walls only of the oven. In otherWords, the rectangular and U-shape, as well as other shape forms, arenot controlling in respect to the hinged heater concept herein.

Note also that when this heating'element 14 is made for the top of arange (such as a surface heater), it is usually of spiral or circularform. In this way, it is shaped to conform to the top opening of anelectric range, into which the heater is hingedly nested, and onto whicha cooking vessel may be placed.

The rear parallel ends of the heating element 14 are fixed in and extendthrough the cover plate 15 and outward through the clearance opening 12to the rear of the electric range. An electrical supply circuit wiring(not shown) is connected to the rear ends of the heating element 14,behind the oven or range wall 11, in any well known manner.

A hinge slot 17 is formed in the upright supporting wall 11, just abovethe upper horizontal edge of the clearance opening 12. In fact, a pairof spaced hinge slots 17 serve to balance the hinge on a horizontal axisfor a guided up and down movement (Fig. 4), when the front end of theheater is lifted for underneath cleaning of the pan or oven bottom 13.

A hinge lug 18 extends upward from the top horizontal edge of the coverplate 15 and in the plane of the latter. A hinge ear 19 is also formedintegrally with the lug 18, at right angles to the latter, and extendsrearward of the upright cover plate 15. A pintle toe 20 projectslaterally and horizontally from the hinge ear portion 19, and it isspaced parallel from the rear surface of the cover plate, with adequateclearance for freely receiving the stationary supporting wall 11 for aloose (pivotal) fit of the plate 15 on said wall;

The three hinge portions 18, 19 and 20 form a hingehook or a pairthereof (Fig. 5) on the swingable cover plate 15. It is noted that thetoe 20 and ear 19, these two portions combined, are of a width (parallelto the plate 15) which is about equal to the length of the hinge slot17, so as to have a slip-fit thereinto. In contrast, the parallel length(width) of the lug portion 18 (like its ear portion 19) is less than thelength of the slot 4 17 in the range wall 11. Accordingly, the two onlyhinge lug portions 18 and 19 (alone) have a loose sidewise fit in thehinge slot 17.

A spring arm 22 has one end thereof permanently fastened at 23 adjacentthe upper horizontal edge of the cover plate 15. The fastening means 23may comprise one or more rivets (as shown) or may be spot-welded to thecover plate. This arrangement leaves the other end of the spring arm 22resiliently free for manual flexure in and out (Fig. 8) in relation tothe front surface of the cover plate 15.

It is noted that the other or free end of the spring arm 22 is marked 24on the drawings, thus designating a finger portion 24 which is manuallygrasped (Fig. 8) to flex the free end outward for releasing a latchingmeans in order that the heater 14 may be removed from the electric rangefor replacement or repair. The spring arm 22 is disposed (horizontally)close to and parallel with the upper edge of the cover plate 15.

It is noted that an upright arm extension 28 is integrally formed on theupper edge of the horizontal spring arm 22 near the flexing-fingerportion 24. This arm extension is bent rearward to form a space-fillerlocking device 29, which parallels and is adjacent to the upright hingelug 18 and its hinge ear 19. One space-filler 29, in cooperation withone of the hinge-hooks (portions 18, 19 and 20), is sufiicient to lockboth hinge-hooks into the hinge slot pair 17 formed in the supportingwall 11 of the electric range 10.

Having the foregoing structural features in mind, it is thought that themode of operation of this latch-in hinge heater, with its characteristichinge-hook and releasable latching space-filler, is clearlyunderstandable. Nevertheless, its mode of operation is next explained.

Note that the front end of the heating element 14 may be grasped byhand, and its hinge-hook pair (parts or portions 18, 19 and 20) theninserted or plugged in (Fig. 6) through the hinge slot pair 17. Thismanual operation causes the rear end edge of the space-filler 29temporarily to engage or impinge (rest against) the front surface of thesupporting wall 11 and, thereby, flex the spring arm 22 outward, thusspring loading (tensioning) it.

Next, when the hinged heater is shifted sidewise to. the right (Fig. 7),the space-filler 29 (now spring loaded) is caused to snap-latch intothat portion of the hinge slot 17 which is not occupied by the hinge ear19. This action locks the heater in service position onto the supportingwall 11.

Such an arrangement of the space-filler means 29 prevents the hingedheater from being reversely shifted sidewise back to the left for itsremoval, unless the resilient end 24 (finger portion) of the spring arm22 is manually sprung outwardly (Fig. 8). Doing so withdraws (unlocks)the space-filler 29 from its portion of I the hinge slot 17, whereuponthe hinged heater units 14 and 15 as. a whole may be shifted to the left(Fig. 6) and withdrawn from the supporting wall 11 of the range.

Among other things, this new hinged heater is characterized by the factthat the length of the hinge slot or slots 17 is approximately equal tothe combined width (or length paralleling the plate 15) of the hinge earportion 19 and space-filler 29. Together, their combined horizontaldimension fills the one hinge slot 17 and locks both pintle toes 20beyond both ends of the two slots for a rocking (hinged) bearingengagement against the rear surface of the range wall 11, thuspermitting the front end of the heater 14 to be lifted (Fig. 4) out ofthe Way for cleaning the oven bottom 13.

Stated in another way, the width of the locking spacefiller 29 may equalthe length of the pintle toe 20. The dimensional relationship betweenthe hinge slot 17, the hinge-hook (portions 18, 19 and 20), and thespring actuated space-filler 29, taken as a whole, provides a simpleautomatic plug-in hinge means, having a positve lock-in;

function, which 'is manually releasable, and free ofintionyenien"tscrew-fastening means.

Earlier in. this specification, mention was made of a liliely U-shape'dheating element 14. In such a modified construction, itis'not'e'd thateach rear end of the then two widely spacedparallel side legs 14 (ofsuch U-shaped heater) would be" fitted wtih a cover plate 15 of smallsize, one'plate for each U leg. Also, two small size clearance openings12 would be provided (widely spaced apart) in the oven wall 11, togetherwith a hinge slot 17 for each small size clearance opening. Should thisequivalent structure be preferred, the spring latching arm 22 would berequired on only one of the cover plates of the twin pair thereof.

The simple structure, positive mode of operation and facility ofinstallation are believed to fill a need in the hinged heater art, notavailable to the trade or suggested in the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hinged electrical heater, having a cover plate, adapted to closea clearance opening in the wall of an electric range, with hinge meanson the rear end of said heater, pivoted in a hinge slot in the range,thus adapting the front end of the heater to be swung from one positionto another; that improvement in said hinge means, which is characterizedby including all of the movable components of the hinge means on and asa part of said cover plate; said components consisting of a hinge-hookmeans, of a width less than the length of the hinge slot; and aspace-filler, the width of which is about equal to the difference inlength between a portion of the hingehook and the hinge slot, wherebythe space-filler fits into the hinge slot for holding the hinge-hookoperatively therein.

2. A hinged electrical heater for an electric range, comprising asheathed heating element, and parallel rear ends thereon, adapted toextend outward through a clearance opening in a supporting wall of saidrange; a cover plate fixed on the parallel ends, adapted to rest againstthe inner surface of the oven Wall, to close said clearance opening, andthe cover plate having an upper edge disposed horizontally above saidclearance opening; a pair of spaced-apart and up-standing hinge lugs,with a hinge ear on each lug, also a hinge pintle toe integrally formedon each hinge ear extending laterally therefrom, all carried on theupper edge of said cover plate, and adapted to be inserted through hingeslots formed in the supporting wall; spring actuated latching means,carried on the plate, for permanently holding the hinge lug means inoperative position in the hinge slots, including a manually releasabledevice operable for removing the heater for replacement or repair.

3. In a hinged electrical heater, having a cover plate, adapted to closea clearance opening in an electric range, with a hinge means on the rearend of said heater, pivoted in a hinge slot provided in the range, thusadapting the front end of the heater to be swung from one position toanother; that improvement insaid hinge means, which provides formounting all of the movable components of the hinge means on and as apart of said cover plate; said movable components comprising ahinge-hook means, adapted to swingably fit into said hinge slot of saidrange, said hinge slot being longer than the width of a portion of thehinge-hook means; and a leaf spring arm, having one end thereof fixed onsaid cover plate, and its other end flexibly and resiliently freethereof; and a. space-filler locking device carried on the free end ofthe leaf spring arm, the width of which is equal to the differencebetween the length of said hinge slot and the width of a portion of thehinge-hook means; whereby the space-filler is adapted to snap-latch intothat portion of the hinge slot not occupied by the hinge-hook means, tolock the hinged heater in service position.

4. In a hinged electrical heater, having rear end portions fixed in andextending through a cover plate, adapted to fit over and close aclearance opening in a supporting wall at the rear of an electric range,with a hinge means adapted to be inserted through hinge slot means,thereby swingably mounting thefront end of the heater; that improvementin saidhinge means, which is characterized by including all ofits'rnovable components along one edge of said cover plate; comprising ahinge lug, formed on and in'the plane of said cover plate; a hinge ear,extending perpendicular rearwardly from the hinge lug, being narrowerthan the length of said hinge slot means, and adapted to be insertedthrough said longer hinge slot means, from the front side of saidsupporting wall, thereby leaving a locking space at one end of saidlonger hinge slot means; and a pintle toe extending from the hinge ear,parallel to the supporting wall, and engaging the rear surface of thelatter; a spring arm, having one end thereof fixed on said cover plate,its other end being fiexibly free thereof, and at rest against thesurface of said cover plate; a latch extension, with a space-filler onthe flexibly free end of the spring arm, and the space-filler beingadapted to project into said locking space, for holding the pintle toein parallel engagement with the rear surface of said supporting wall.

5. In an electrical heater, conventionally adapted to have its rear endhingedly mounted in an electric range, and its front end manuallytilted, wherein a wall of the range has a clearance opening, out throughwhich terminals of the heater rear end extend for connection with acurrent supply circuit, and wherein the wall also has horizontallyseparated hinge slots, adapted to receive the hinged heater, and havinga cover plate through which the terminals extend and are fixed, thecover plate resting against the inner surface of the wall, and largeenough to cover said clearance opening; that improvement in theaforesaid conventional hinge mounting, which comprises spaced hinge lugscarried by saidcover plate, extending along an edge thereof, with theirupper ends bent rearwardly, forming hinge cars, which are adapted toextend through said separated hinge slots; a lateral pintle toe on eachhinge ear, also adapted to extend freely through a said separated hingeslot, and be manually displaced sidewise in order to swingably bearagainst the back surface of said wall, and leave a locking space in atleast one of said separated hinge slots; a spring am, having one endfixed to the front surface of said cover plate, and its other endresiliently free, on which a finger portion is provided, an uprightlatch extension on the upper edge of said spring arm, and a space-filleron the upper end of the latch extension, adapted to project rearwardinto an aforesaid locking space; whereby the electrical heater isadapted to be installed in said range, by manually holding the front endof the heater, pushing its hinge ears and pintle toes through saidseparated hinge slots, which flexes the free end of the spring arm, andthen manually shifting the heater laterally, causing the spring arm tosnap its spacefiller into the locking space, and thus hingedly mountingthe heater rear end on said wall; and whereby the heater may be removedfrom the oven by manually flexing the finger portion of the spring armoutward, which retracts the space-filler from the locking space, andthen manually displacing the heater in a lateral direction opposite tothat when installing it, as aforesaid, and thereupon withdrawing theheater outward from said range.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,094,771 Ball Apr. 28, 1914 1,143,536 Goodridge June 15, 1915 1,225,827Kuhn May 15, 1917 1,553,307 Dawson Sept. 15, 1925 1,637,435 Brown Aug.2, 1927 1,989,823 Raabe Feb. 5, 1935 (Other references on followingpage) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Trompeter Sept. 30, 1941 Walton Apr. 10,1951 Vallorani June 19, 1956 Covert Aug. 13, 1957 6 Eckblad Dec. 10,1957 Ammerman Feb. 25, 1958 Ammerman Mar. 25, 1958' 8 Ammerman Sept. 30,1958., Price Feb. 33,1959 King Feb. 25, 1959 Paulding May 5, 1959 KruseDec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 26, 1950

